


To Drown Between The Clouds

by REINDOWN



Series: A Future of Outstretched Arms [7]
Category: Gintama
Genre: Death, Drabble, Drabble Collection, Lucid Dreaming, M/M, One Shot, One Shot Collection, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 09:43:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9066373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/REINDOWN/pseuds/REINDOWN
Summary: Content, warm and happy. It was kind of like snoozing next to a warm fire, that's how I felt.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a collection of one shots, drabbles etc. of Gintama. If you enjoy this, then please take a look at the rest of the series~

“Gin-chan!” Kagura fell into step beside me on the cobbled path. The sun was shining so strongly that the stones reflected bright white light into my eyes and I was squinting. I looked across to her and she was smiling that broad, idiotic grin that she could have only gotten from me.  
“Gin-san, where are you going off to on your own?” Shinpachi appeared on my other side, chiding me playfully. “You aren't alone anymore. We're the yorozuya.”

I said nothing but felt the smile tug my lips. The warmth of the sun on my skin was pleasant and soothing and I felt myself relaxing, my footsteps slowing. Even my heartbeat calmed. They slowed with me and we ambled down the path with no real destination. We were just walking, together. The sky was clear of a single cloud and a soft breeze made the temperature bearable. It was a good day. My shoulders felt light because the haunting demons of the past, for once, didn't seem to matter. It was just so warm … a day for ice cream and laying in grass fields with nothing to do. The air was swimming with heat waves. My body was free of any feeling. It was like being a feather floating in the breeze.

Further down the path, a figure started to melt into view. I felt a bead of sweat run down my face from my hairline to my chin but it still wasn't unbearable; I was snoozing next to a log fire – that's the sort of temperature it was. The figure had his arms crossed and only half-turned to us. He was calling my name before his face had even come into focus.

“Gintoki,” he said. I called out but was startled when no sound came from my throat. He didn't seem to notice, an uncharacteristic but not unknown smile directed towards us. “Gintoki,” he said again and a shiver ran through me. The temperature dropped and dropped until tremors were racking my spine. I was freezing – why was it so cold? I couldn't stop myself shivering and even my breath was hitching. The sweat on my forehead was cold. Kagura and Shinpachi were no longer there. “Gintoki!” He wasn't talking to me. He was shouting. There was a panic in his voice that I hadn't picked up on before. Why hadn't I noticed it? He wasn't smiling any more.

And it wasn't warm any more.

Another drip of sweat ran down my cheek. And another. It was sticky and thick and I tried wiping it away with one arm but I was stuck. There was water up to my chest and I was sinking deeper into it. The cold encompassed my whole body as the water rose to drag my head under. I couldn't breathe properly and each intake of air choked me. I was choking and missed most breaths. I couldn't even lift my arms to swim to the surface.

“Gintoki!”

Hijikata was leaning over me, a wet sheen to his eyes. He patted my cheeks and I only knew he was doing so because I could see him. I didn't feel a thing. All I felt was cold and fatigue numbed my arms. The water was still in my vision, blurring his face above me. I had to touch him, that's all I could think, but as I reached up and up and up … I wasn't moving at all. Everything behind him was a dull black that I couldn't even attempt to focus on. Even he was flickering away from me now. More sweat trickled down my face and into my mouth. It tasted coppery. 

“S-stay with me, Gintoki!” He was terrified of something. I had to reach out and touch him, ask him what was wrong. His hands moved down my cheek and neck and tapped my shoulders. He whined and it was then that I realised he was crying. He didn't cry – not ever – yet I could hear him faintly wheezing and moaning. His hair brushed my face as his head lowered onto my chest. I had to touch him and this time the thought was so powerful that the message throbbed through my arm and I felt it react. Hijikata was above me again, saying words I could no longer hear and looking into my eyes. My hand lifted to touch his cheek and he stuttered to a halt, his whole body freezing. Tears ran out of his eyes and over my hand. My trembling fingertips ran down his skin, across his cheekbone and through his hair. He was saying my name again, I knew he was. Then his lips were on mine for a brief second. But I couldn't feel it. I couldn't feel a thing. 

My hand dropped and the world stilled. Everything slowed. Hijikata faded to black.


End file.
